Thursday Beauty Day- How to Look Good When You Just Feel Like Going Back to Bed

Everybody has those "ugh" days. Whether it's due to too much time spent out the night before, a crazy all-nighter, or as in my case, just feeling awful, these days come around more often than any of us would like. Instead of throwing on sweats of your comfy jeans, take advantage of some of my tips and tricks below- after all, you know you feel better when you look better :)

The Clothes

What

Dress: Old Navy, $7

Cardigan: Target, $12

Belt: NY and Company, $4

Flats: Target, $9

As far as clothes go, comfort is definitely first priority. No matter what season it is, I always end up wearing some variation of the combination below because it offers no-fail comfort while still looking good.

• Sleeveless jersey dress
• Cardigan (usually boyfriend fit so I have some extra room)
• Belt (to pull it all together)
• Comfortable Flats

The Accessories

What

Earrings: Rue 21, $3

Bag: Forever 21, $15

Belt: NY and Company, $4

Glasses: Chanel, ?

Usually when I'm having an off day I don't want a ton of accessories jingling around, so to limit the need for them I try to find a dress with an embellished neckline. Since I'm usually wearing a cardigan, my wrists generally aren't bare, so the only things that are needed are earrings and a few little rings. Additionally, I almost always bring my glasses along on this type of day. Even though I should wear them everyday I usually don't because 1) they don't match or 2) I just don't want to. But speaking from experience, nothing's worse than having to squint to see anything when you already have a headache.

The Hair

Although I can't speak for anyone else, when I don't feel good one of the last things I want is to have to deal with my hair in my face. Therefore, almost any time I'm getting ready for an off day, I throw my hair up in some odd type of ballerina/messy bun hybrid. Instead of putting on a headband like I normally do with my updos, I just use hair colored bobby pins to keep my bangs out of my eyes. I forgo the headbands because when I'm dealing with a headache, any additional pressure drives me crazy. Other alternatives to casual updos are braids or nice ponytails.

The Makeup

What I Use

Almay Foundation, $12

LashMaxxx Mascara, $6

Covergirl Lipstain, $9

On yucky days I try to keep my makeup routine pretty simple. This lip stain is the BEST. Its fairly new and made by Covergirl. I'm on a mission to get every color, which should happen soon since they're under $10 a piece.... and for lipcolor that feels like nothing and lasts ALL day, I think it's worth it. I also love my Almay foundation- just enough coverage without being too much. I'll admit though, I'm the emotional type. Seeing as though anything can make me cry, waterproof mascara and light makeup is a must, especially on days like today. And because I need to vent, let me just tell you about some of it.

1. Since yesterday I've been yuckily sick and because of that,
2. I got almost no sleep last night.
3. I woke up late this morning and had to skip breakfast.
4. When I did leave my house (on time) I went to turn out of my driveway when I saw roadkill, which made me sad...
5. Only it made me extra sad because it wasn't just an 'possum, but also her dead babies. Do you have any idea how cute baby possums are? But these babies weren't as cute because they were dead.
6. The construction crew closed my road, without warning, so I had to turn around and go the back way to work...
7. which made me late.
8. Add on some personal stuff and you have my day.

But on the good side, my mom made me double chocolate brownies and I'm going to see Sex and the City 2 tomorrow with one of my really good friends. Despite today, it will be a good week : )

I hope you don't have an "ugh" day anytime soon... but when you do, I hope these tips help!

Thursday Beauty Day- Coral Lips

What
Jeans: Old Navy
Top: JCPenney
Jacket: Steve and Barry's
Necklace: American Eagle
Flats: Target

Where
Classes and Work

For many of us girls on the go we tend to develop a morning make-up routine; and while it's good to figure out what works best for our skin tones and personalities, we also should be willing to mix it up every once and awhile. This week I decided to experiment with coral lips. Although this isn't a super in-your-face trend, it's something I felt comfortable wearing to class and around campus.

What I Used:
I normally never wear lipstick or gloss, so I bought these items specifically for this project. I purchased them from Walmart, and they ran about $5 a piece.

Maybelline Lipstick in Cool Watermelon
Neutrogena Gloss in Glisten

I think it's safe to assume most of you know how to put on lipstick ;) However I do have some helpful hints.
1) Put on a little chap-stick before applying any color or gloss. This helps the color to slide on smoothly.
2) Unless your going for a matte look, apply a layer of color, and then some sheer gloss to help the color shine.
3) After applying color and/or gloss, stick your finger in your mouth (as if your sucking on your thumb or something) and then pull it out. I know this sounds silly- but it actually takes off any color or gloss that may be on the inside of your lips.

Thursday Beauty Day

I recently decided that I wanted to start experimenting with hair and makeup and doing a post about it every Thursday. To start out, I planned on doing side braid over my shoulder. This style has been all over the runways this Spring, and would be a great way to wear your hair for a full day of classes or work. Unfortunately, I obviously didn’t consider the fact that my shoulder length hair wasn’t long enough. I still really love thick braids though, and decided to do this cute updo instead.

What You’ll Need

-Medium barrel curling iron
-Heat protector Spray
-Paddle Brush
-Small elastics that match your hair color
-Bobby Pins
-Hair Spray

How To Do This Style

1) Curl your hair with a curling iron- Don’t forget to use heat protecter spray! (The curls don’t have to be perfect, they’re just there for texture)
2) After your hair has cooled completely, brush it with paddle brush
3) Scrunch your hair using just your fingers- no product
4) You should have nice wavy curls now. If your hair still looks frizzy, twirl a few strands around your fingers to give them definition
5) Make a deep side part, and then do a really thick french braid down the side and around to the back. Make sure not to braid too tight though
6) Gather your hair in a small elastic
7) Randomly pin curls around the pony tail with bobby pins. Don’t try to be too perfect, it is supposed to be a slightly messy bun
8) Using your thumb and index finger, pinch your braid to loosen up a few strands (If you have lots of layers around your face, be careful not to loosen them though!)
9) Spray all over with hairspray

TOTAL TIME (Not including curling) 10 Minutes

I really loved this style- It stayed put through more than 12 hours of classes, shopping, and sewing. Plus I got tons of compliments and requests for directions. I guess I picked a good style for the blog : )